Everywhere
by Lee Meilin
Summary: Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts has never been better. It's the time when he learns to fall in love and eventually, finds out that he is already in love with his best friend, Hermione Granger...
1. Unbearable

**Everywhere**

By: lee meilin/shadowee

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my second fanfic about Harry Potter. Actually, I still haven't finished the other one and I think I can't finish that anymore. I know it's been a long time since I posted a fanfic here. Anyway, the pairing of this fic is none other than drum roll………………Harry and Hermione! I'm a big fan of them. By the way, it's their fifth year in Hogwarts. I've changed the story a bit though.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters here. I also do not own some of the scenes in this story because I got them from the book.

**Chapter One – Unbearable**

The Christmas holidays were drawing nearer as far as everyone in Hogwarts was concerned. The fifth year students were about to have a break at last after all the evenings they spent on doing tons of homework.

Our hero, Harry Potter, was no ordinary boy. He was different and popular among witches and wizards and it was because of his untidy black hair, emerald – green eyes, and of course, that thin lightning – shaped scar on his forehead that was given to him by a dark wizard called Voldemort. Voldemort tried to kill him for about four or five times now and still, Harry lives to tell the tale.

So there he is, sitting on an armchair by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room with his best friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Hermione's head was hiding inside her bushy brown hair, and she's curled up beside the armchair that Harry was sitting on, doing an essay for Professor Binns. Ron was constantly complaining about how nasty Professor Umbridge could get. His flaming red hair matched with his emotions right now. While Harry, the hero, was thinking about Cho Chang, the girl whom he had a crush on since his third year at Hogwarts.

After finishing her essay, Hermione chucked her things inside her bag and rested her back on the couch near the fireplace. A/N: Ron was still blabbing.

"Ron," Hermione said impatiently, "would you please stop your blabbing? You've just been saying it over and over again." Ron frowned at her.

"That," he argued, "is because you and Harry weren't even listening to me."

"If I haven't been listening," said Hermione, "then why do I know that you were complaining about Professor Umbridge?" Ron opened his mouth but no words came out. Recognizing defeat, he closed his mouth.

"I think Harry's the one who's not listening to you," Hermione added, looking suspiciously at Harry.

"Er…Harry?" Ron said quietly, looking at Harry. Harry, who was still thinking about Cho, quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ron call him.

"What?" he asked.

"Whom were you thinking about?" Ron said.

"No one," Harry lied. Hermione snorted.

"Oh, what rubbish!" said Hermione, "It seems that you were excited about something since yesterday."

"It's nothing, really."

"Come on mate," Ron pleaded. "Tell us."

"Well –"

"It's about Cho, isn't it?" Hermione guessed, although she was sure that this was the reason. Harry simply nodded. He had no choice.

"What about her?" asked Ron.

"I – uh…happened to –"

"Ask her out?" Hermione continued, grinning.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "How did you know?" Harry frowned at Hermione with suspicious-looking eyes.

"Erm…Like a guess?"

"Blimey, Harry!" Ron said, "You actually asked Cho Chang out? Didn't you know that there's been a rumor about her that she's a playgirl? And I always thought she disliked you!"

"Of course not," snapped Hermione. "Cho isn't a playgirl and she does not dislike Harry. She's just confused."

"How did you know about that?" Ron asked, rather suspiciously. Hermione looked at Harry, who was looking at her too, then looked back at Ron.

"What is it, Herm?" Harry asked kindly.

"I heard you talking to her the other night after the DA."

Ron raised his eyebrow at her and said, "That's eavesdropping!"

"You were there?" asked Harry, his ears and cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "I'm so sorry Harry. I really didn't mean to. I was about to go but I thought it rude to pass while the two of you were in a deep conversation."

"You – heard – everything?" Harry asked, his voice trembling. Afraid to be shouted at, Hermione just nodded and looked down at the carpeted floor.

"I also saw you and her –"

"What is it Hermione?" Ron said excitedly, "Tell me!"

"I saw Harry and Cho," said Hermione, checking if Harry was angry or not, "kiss each other."

"What!" Ron exclaimed. Everyone in the Common Room looked at them for a second and went back to their business after that.

"She forced me into it!" Harry reasoned out. "I was cornered!" Hermione laughed while Ron thought that it was something interesting.

"Great move Harry," he said. "How did it feel then?"

"Wet," replied Harry. Upon seeing the green-minded looks on their faces he added, "Because she was crying!"

"What Ron meant," said Hermione "was the feeling you had."

"I was nervous," Harry replied.

"Why?" asked Ron

"Because…it was the first time I have kissed a girl."

"Must be good for you." Ron said

"It really wasn't good for him," snapped Hermione. Harry looked at her intently. It was true.

"And why do you think so?"

"Because deep inside Cho's heart, she was still thinking about Cedric, which makes Harry feel uncomfortable with her."

"Is this true, Harry?"

"Yes, it's true." Harry answered. "Since when did you learn to analyze things like those, Herm?"

"Ever since I met Viktor," Hermione replied.

"You mean since you met that ugly scumbag?" said Ron loudly.

"He's not a scumbag Ron!" Hermione argued.

"Oh yeah? He almost had you lost your sanity!"

_Ron's right_, Hermione thought. The memory of Krum didn't sound too good at all. She had loved Krum so much that she got so hurt when he broke up with her last year a/n: They had been boyfriend-girlfriend since the Triwizard Tournament in my fic..

"Served you right, didn't it?" Harry said, smiling.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, "I shouldn't have been so crazy about him."

"That's right!" Ron said loudly, "You shouldn't have been too sure that he really loved you!" Harry looked at Ron then turned to face Hermione. He stared at her brown – black eyes. There was an expression of loneliness in them. Ron kept on blabbing about how Krum, who used to be his idol, can't be trusted when it comes to love. Harry continued to stare at Hermione. There were tears in her eyes. She wiped them before Ron could see it. She didn't know that Harry saw her.

"He's so confident about girls!" Ron continued. "He knows they like him very much so he dumps them one by one and –"

"Stop it Ron!" Harry snapped. Hermione and Ron looked at him.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Can't you see? Hermione doesn't want to talk about _him_ anymore!" Hermione looked up at Harry, tears streaming down her face.

"She was the one who first mentioned _his _name!" Ron argued.

"But –"

"He's right Harry," Hermione said quietly, making him and Ron look at her. "It's my fault anyway…"

"Of course it isn't!" Harry said, his voice now rising. "It isn't anyone's fault!"

Ron sighed and said, "Okay! I get it, Harry! I know you care for her. I care too because she's also my friend."

Harry tried to calm himself. He didn't want to cause fights among the three of them. Hermione, whose tears used to be because of loneliness, turned into tears of joy.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling broadly. She rose from her seat and hugged Harry and Ron tightly.

"Ouch!" said Ron, trying to escape from Hermione's tight hug.

"Her – my – ow – nee," Harry said. He was nearly out of breath. "You're – squeezing – us!" Hermione quickly let go after realizing that she was hurting them.

"Sorry," she said quietly as she returned to her seat. As the night grew deeper, the people in the Common Room slowly cleared out. Ron yawned widely. He looked at his watch. It was half – past ten.

"I think I'm going to bed," he said, standing up and placing his things inside his bag.

"What about your homework?" Hermione asked.

"I think I'll finish that tomorrow at breakfast," Ron answered. He quickly headed upstairs so as to avoid Hermione's telling off. Hermione watched him go, telling Harry about how he shouldn't waste time like Ron.

"I know, I know!" Harry said impatiently. He looked at Hermione, who was now writing a letter, then reached for his bag and pulled out a parchment, a bottle of ink and his quill. He started writing an answer to the question that Professor Binns had given them. He was in the middle of writing his essay when the clock struck twelve.

"Are you done yet?" Hermione asked him.

"Nearly," Harry answered, looking around him. They were the only ones left in the Common Room.

"Let me help you then," Hermione said, reading Harry's essay thoroughly.

"Thanks Herm," Harry said quietly. He yawned widely as he rested his back on the armchair he was sitting on. Slowly, his eyes closed and without realizing it, he fell asleep.

"Harry, you just need to add –" Hermione stopped dead at her sentence when she saw Harry fast asleep. She put the quill down on the table and turned to face Harry. She stood up, walked a little closer to him and stared at his handsome face.

The one thing that Hermione liked most about Harry was his eyes and that scar on his forehead. She bent a little lower towards Harry to touch his scar. Very slowly, Hermione moved her fingers towards Harry's forehead. She didn't want to wake him up. Hermione touched it with excitement. _How does it feel to have a scar like Harry's?_ She asked herself. She then knelt down before him and watched him sleep. She stroked Harry's untidy black hair fondly, finding herself yawning. Hermione didn't realize that she too, had fallen asleep.

Harry woke up at about five o'clock in the morning, still finding himself in the Common Room with Hermione, after having a very wonderful dream. The Common Room was still deserted except for the two of them. Harry saw Hermione sleeping with her head on the table. The essay lay finished on it. Harry stood up and read it, including the part which Hermione had added. He placed his things inside his bag and looked at Hermione once more. He couldn't just leave her there. So he carried Hermione up to the girls' dormitory and laid her on her bed near Parvati. Then, he went to his dormitory and slept again.

Another delightful winter morning has come. It was the first day of the holidays. As Harry went down to breakfast, he saw a lot of students that were ready to leave for their homes. He was already starting to eat when Ron and Hermione came walking towards him. Ron was dressed, which means only one thing: he wasn't staying for Christmas.

"Hi Harry," Ron greeted, taking a seat beside Harry. Hermione sat beside them, speechless.

"I see you've packed," Harry said, drinking from his glass of pumpkin juice.

"Well, we're having a vacation somewhere in Scotland, see."

"Must be good for you," Hermione said at last. Harry thought she wouldn't say something.

"It is," Ron said proudly. "I better get going now."

"Bye then."

"Bye!" Ron joined Ginny, Fred and George as they went out of the Great Hall. Harry went back to eating again once Ron had gone. Hermione, on the other hand, was barely touching her plate.

"Hermione, you better eat a lot," Harry told her. "You need to." Hermione looked at him intently. There was one question in her mind that she wanted to ask Harry ever since she woke up.

"Harry?" she said quietly.

"Hmm?" Harry asked, looking back at her.

"Were you the one who –"

Harry read her mind quickly and said, "Yes."

"Thanks," Hermione said, grinning.

"You're welcome." Once this matter was settled, Hermione began to eat at last.

"Bye the way Harry," she said, "when's your date with Cho?" Harry choked at the mention of his date with Cho.

"It isn't really a date, you know. Besides, I wasn't really thinking about that."

"When is it then?"

Harry didn't speak for a while then said at last, "This afternoon at 5 o'clock."

"Oh. I see…"

"Why did you ask?"

"Nothing. Just wondering…"

The afternoon had arrived so fast. Harry was in the boys' dormitory, looking for fine clothes that he could wear during his date with Cho.

"I prefer this," Hermione said, handing him a white polo shirt and black pants. A/N: Harry was the only one left in the boys' dormitory so Hermione could go there.

"Thanks Herm." Harry took them and pulled the curtains on his four – poster bed so that Hermione wouldn't see him. After a few minutes, Harry was ready.

Hermione eyed him from head to toe. She can admit that he really looked handsome.

"How do I look?" Harry asked her.

"You look great," Hermione answered, though it was not that convincing. A few minutes later, Hermione accompanied Harry down the snow filled grounds to meet Cho. They saw her sitting by the now frozen lake, under the snowy beech tree. Cho waved at Harry as he and Hermione approached her. Cho smiled at them.

"Is she coming with us, Harry?" she asked.

"Well no," Harry replied. "She was just kind enough to go with me and look for you." Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. Cho giggled at her.

"By the way Harry," Cho said. "You look handsome in those clothes." Harry's ears turned slightly pink.

"Thank you," he said diffidently.

"I shall be leaving the two of you now, I guess," Hermione said loudly as she headed back to the castle.

"Don't mind her," said Harry. "She's always like that." Cho giggled. She smiled prettily at him. Harry turned red at the sight of this.

"You must be lucky," Cho said, still smiling. "Having a friend who's intelligent and understanding at the same time is rare."

"So, where would you like to go first?" asked Harry, trying very hard not to sound nervous.

"Three Broomsticks would be all right," Cho answered, taking Harry's hand and dragging him towards the path to Hogsmeade. "I thought it better if we'll just walk."

As they took the pebbly road to the village, Harry felt really hot holding Cho's lukewarm and thin hand. He even tried to make his first move by placing his arms around Cho's waist. Unfortunately, they have arrived at the front door of Three Broomsticks. They entered and found a seat near the counter.

"What would be your order?" said Madam Rosmerta, the caretaker of the pub.

"Um," said Harry, "two butterbeers please."

"Okay. Do you like anything to eat?" said Madam Rosmerta, jutting notes on a paper with a wave of her wand. Both Harry and Cho looked at the menu. This time, it was Cho who spoke.

"Er…meal number 3 please," she said, rather nervously.

"Okay. Your food will be served in 15 minutes." Madam Rosmerta left, grinning at the both of them.

"Do you think that meant something?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," Cho replied. "Maybe she's happy because only a few people chose her place fit to have a date or something."

"Oh…" A few minutes later, the food they ordered magically appeared on the top of the table. Both Harry and Cho seemed amazed by this. Just when Harry and Cho were halfway done with their food, someone came running in and stopped in front of them. Harry looked up and saw that it was Hermione.

"Harry," she said panting, "I've got to talk to you."

"What? Why?" Harry asked, confused. Hermione took a deep breath. Cho, on the other hand, looked at them.

"It's urgent Harry," said Hermione defiantly, upon seeing the look on Harry's face. "It's about Snuffles." Harry blinked at the mention of Snuffles.

"Who's Snuffles?" Cho asked curiously.

"A dog," Hermione snapped.

"Oh," Cho said, nodding to herself.

"Excuse me Cho," Harry said, rising from his seat. "I have to go." As Harry and Hermione ran out of the pub, Cho shouted, "Wait!" but they didn't go back. She disappointedly went back to eating.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him towards the way to the Shrieking Shack where no one did dare go.

"What is it about Sirius?" Harry asked, looking around for eavesdroppers. Hermione took a deep breath again, her eyes full of woe. She took the Daily Prophet from her robes and handed it to Harry. Harry quickly read and reread the news on the front page, as though he wanted to say that what's written in it wasn't true. After he had read it for the fifth time, he walked towards a big rock that stood on the snow-covered ground. He sat carelessly on it, threw the Daily Prophet away and covered his face with his hands as though he was crying.

"Harry?" Hermione said, walking towards Harry, her brown eyes now filled with tears. She kneeled in front of him and looked at his buried face, tears streaming down her face. She tried to touch him but Harry simply pushed her away, making her fall on the ground. Hermione wept more at Harry's action.

Hermione stood up, her hands trembling with fear. She once again tried to make Harry talk to her.

"Harry," she cried, "please, listen to me!" She tried to remove Harry's hands off his face but he was stronger than her. "Please, Harry…I know it's hard for you to accept that Sirius is –"

"SHUT UP!" he shouted, rising from his feet and revealing a red – faced Harry with tears in his eyes. There was anger and pain in them. "He's dead! And there's nothing I could do!" He continued to shout. Hermione was still sobbing, trying to prevent Harry from hurting himself by holding him by his back.

"Harry, please!" Hermione cried. Harry hit a tree near them with his fist, which made the snow above it fall on them. His right hand was now bleeding. Hermione didn't know what to do anymore. Harry was too strong for her. He was about to hit another tree with his left hand this time, but Hermione have managed to block him and hug him tight so that he couldn't let go.

Eventually, this worked because Harry didn't fight Hermione anymore. Instead, he let her hug him. This hug wouldn't take away all the pain inside of him but it will somehow make him feel a little better. There was nothing he could do but hug back. He could feel that Hermione was still crying. She was his best friend after all and she too is affected by what happened. A few seconds later, Harry and Hermione pulled away from each other. Harry looked at Hermione. Her eyes were soar.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, wiping a teardrop that fell from Hermione's eye. He noticed that someone was watching them. Harry turned to face right and saw Cho, standing right there, taken aback by what she has just seen and heard.

"Harry," she said, her eyes not moving, "you're…"

"Look," Harry said defensively, "It's not what you think. It's just –"

"You knew all along where Sirius Black was hiding!" she said loudly.

"Cho, stop it!" Hermione said, pulling her wand out of her robes. "Stop it or I'll stun you!"

"I'll –" But before Cho could even utter another word, Hermione had shouted, "_Petrificus Totalus_!" and hit her right on the face. She lay on the ground, looking as if she was petrified.

Hermione placed her hand back inside her robes and looked at Harry. He looked as though Hermione had cast a spell on him too.

"Wh – how –?" Harry didn't finish what he was about to say because Hermione grabbed his arm, cast a spell on Cho to make her forget about what happened, then ran as fast as she could, Harry being dragged by her.

By the time they have reached the Common Room, they were both breathless. Hermione threw herself on one of the couches, breathing heavily.

Harry was just standing there, totally stunned. He didn't know how to feel. He didn't know whether he should feel pity for Cho, whether to be angry with Hermione for doing that to Cho, whether to be glad that Cho wouldn't be able to tell anyone about what she heard…these were the things inside Harry's mind. He really didn't know. He felt numb and it was like his feet were glued to the ground that he couldn't move a muscle…


	2. Misery and Confusion

A/N: Thank you for those who reviewed the previous chapter! I really appreciated it. anyway…Here's the second chap. It's kinda mushy though….hehe…just review after you're done reading it, if you have some comments/suggestions. Thanks, once again! So um….here's the 2nd chap. Hope you'll enjoy reading.

**Chapter Two – Misery and Confusion**

"Harry?" Hermione said, noticing that Harry wasn't moving at all. He looked like a brainwashed zombie. Hermione stood up and waved her hands in front of Harry's face. This worked somehow because Harry blinked.

"Did I miss something?" he asked, staring blankly at Hermione. Hermione sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked him, "Ever since we got back here, you're acting odd. You're not even moving or saying anything."

"Sorry," Harry said, throwing himself onto a squashy scarlet armchair that stood by the fire. "I was just thinking about something…"

"You mean, _someone_." Hermione sat down again, looking crestfallen. Harry would've liked it if she hadn't given emphasis on the word 'someone'. "Who were you thinking about anyway?" Hermione continued as Crookshanks leaped onto her lap, purring peacefully.

"Cho…and Sirius, of course."

"Why are you so worried about Cho? I'm sure she wouldn't tell anyone that we have been communicating with Sirius. Well…after what I've done to her."

"I know but…"

"But what, Harry?"

"She might not want to go out with me anymore, knowing that I'm covering up for a criminal…"

"But Sirius is not a criminal, Harry!" Hermione argued, rising from her seat and making Crookshanks fall on the carpeted floor, "You know that! He's innocent!"

"I know!" Harry said loudly, his voice now rising. "But people don't, do they!" This time, anger started to fill Harry's heart and mind. He knew that his godfather was innocent. He didn't need Hermione to tell him that.

"Harry, listen to me. Cho is just one of the girls that has come your way. There are many others that would understand you! Why would you waste so much time just for her if she cannot accept the fact that Sirius is important to you!"

"YOU DIDN'T LET HER FINISH WHAT SHE'S GOT TO SAY!" Harry stood up, his face reddening with fury. He was now face to face with Hermione, who was staring furiously at him. "How sure are you that she doesn't know how important Sirius is to me!"

"WHY, IS CHO MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN YOUR GODFATHER!" With this, Hermione knew that she had said what she shouldn't have. Harry was about to hit Hermione with his own hands when he realized that he shouldn't hurt girls, specially his best friend. He put his arm down and turned away. Hermione, whose face was nearly white, looked surprised that Harry didn't hurt her. She was just standing there, her feet glued to the floor, staring fearfully at Harry.

"You're wrong Hermione," Harry said quietly, "and I will prove that to you." He turned on his heel and went to the boys' dormitory, leaving Hermione standing like a statue.

"Harry…" She sat down by the fireplace, thinking about what just happened. She was looking at the fire and tried to see or make up figures out of them. It took her half an hour to realize that it was boring there so she went out of the Common Room to roam around. She went down to the Great Hall to see if dinner was ready. It was 6:00 anyway. To her surprise, only a few people stayed for Christmas. There were about 20 students in the Great Hall right that moment. Parvati and Lavender were sitting by the Gryffindor table, eating happily. Hermione decided to join them.

"May I join you?" she asked them.

"Sure," Parvati said, grinning. Hermione sat down and helped herself to some of the dishes there.

"Where's Harry?" Lavender asked, making Hermione choke. "Why isn't he with you?"

"Er…we got into a little fight, you know," Hermione answered.

"Fight?" said Parvati, "I thought you and Harry never fight."

"Of course we do," said Hermione, helping herself with some more food. "Friends get into fights, you know."

"We know that," Lavender said, looking at Parvati.

"Why did the two of you fight, anyway?" Parvati asked curiously.

"I can't tell you," Hermione replied. "It's a secret. Besides, it's a long story."

"Oh…" Lavender and Parvati looked disappointed at this fact. When Hermione had finished eating, she went out of the Great Hall and decided to go down to meet Hagrid. When she was walking down the path to Hagrid's hut, she felt something pass beside her. She stopped.

"Hello?" Hermione said, sounding scared. She looked around to see who it was but there was no one there. She felt cold. _Maybe it's just because of the snow…_ she thought. She looked down at the snowy ground and saw footsteps that lead to Hagrid's hut. A thought came to Hermione's mind. _It's just Harry_, she told herself. So, she went to Hagrid's hut to see if she was right.

When Hermione knocked at Hagrid's front door, she heard Fang's loud barks and a minute later, Hagrid was standing right in front of her. Although tall and ferocious-looking, Hagrid was a kind teacher and friend.

"Hi Hagrid," Hermione said, smiling. "Is Harry here?"

"No, he isn't," Hagrid answered quickly. With this, Hermione had a feeling that he was lying.

"May I come in?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Sure, sure," answered Hagrid, ushering Hermione inside. Hermione went in, looking around for signs of Harry.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, "are you really sure that Harry isn't here? Because we got into a fight you know, and there's a chance that he might be here."

Hagrid showed a bit of a guilty expression then answered, "I tell yeh, he's not 'ere."

"Oh," said Hermione, sounding a little bit disappointed. "Well…how's life for you anyway?"

"Fine, I'm quite fine. Wha' abou' yeh?"

"I'm not feeling good…" Hermione walked towards the window and gazed at the moonlit sky. Hagrid looked worriedly at her.

"Why? What's wrong?" Hagrid asked, preparing some tea.

"It's…about –"

"Harry?"

"Yes…I'm worried about him…"

"I am too. I know it is hard fer him ter lose his one an' only godfather."

"It's not only that, Hagrid…" Hermione sat down on the large red armchair and sighed. "I have liked Harry since I first met him and…I don't want to see him suffering like this."

"I understand yeh. Many girls run after Harry an' not even one of them understood his feelings except yeh, Hermione. No one cared fer him as much as yeh did. I noticed that. Maybe Harry doesn't realize that yer a girl too because of a girl out there whom he has a crush on…her name's Cho, am I right?"

Hermione nodded curtly. "I don't care if he likes Cho…I just want him to be happy, that's all. I don't expect him to like me too. If he's happy, then I'm going to be happy for him too…no matter how much it hurts..."

Hagrid smiled and hugged Hermione tightly that Hermione couldn't breathe. "Yer a good friend, Hermione."

"I – can't – breathe – Hagrid –"

"Oh," said Hagrid, letting go of Hermione. "Sorry." Hagrid offered her some hot tea and then accompanied her back to the castle.

"Thanks Hagrid," said Hermione, smiling. Hagrid smiled back and went to his hut.

As Hermione walked towards the Gryffindor Tower she, again, felt something pass beside her. She ignored it for a while. When she started to walk again, she hit someone in front of her.

"Harry? Is that you?" Hermione said seriously. No one answered. "Come on, Harry. I do not have the time to play hide and seek." Hermione tried to grab something in front of her, but no one was there. Suddenly, she felt someone behind her hug her so tight that she felt weak and she couldn't let go.

"Hermione…" said a voice that sounded familiar. Hermione knew at once that Harry (in his invisibility cloak) was the one who's hugging her. She just stood there, not minding anything.

"I thought you hate me," said Hermione so softly that only Harry could hear.

"I don't…" Harry whispered. Hermione felt his breath rush through her hair. She just stood there, Harry hugging her, and it happened for about five minutes.

"Granger!" This voice made Hermione turn around, only to find out that it was Malfoy. Harry let go of her and stood beside her, still wearing the Invisibility Cloak that he inherited from his father.

"Look who's here," replied Hermione, grinning evilly. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to know what you're doing here," Malfoy said. He stared at Hermione, eyeing her from head to toe.

"Stop doing that!" said Hermione, noticing Malfoy's actions. "And by the way, is it forbidden to walk around on a school holiday? I don't believe there's something written in the law that you cannot go for a walk around the castle."

Malfoy smirked loftily. "Whatever, Granger. All I know is that, you'll receive detention. Now, why don't you go to Professor McGonagall and ask her what detention she would give you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't believe that Professor McGonagall would get me into detention if she knew what the reason was."

"I don't care," replied Malfoy. "I'm leaving." But before Malfoy could take another step, he tripped even though there was nothing for him to trip over. Hermione laughed. She knew that that was Harry. Malfoy stood up, scared. He felt his hair being blown by no one and this scared him even more. He ran away quickly and it seemed as if he was really very frightened. Hermione laughed and laughed.

"Shh!" Harry whispered in her ear, "Someone's coming! Hide here!" Harry invited Hermione to join him in his invisibility cloak since it was large enough for the two of them. Hermione obeyed him and did not argue.

"Are you sure you heard laughs, Argus?" Umbridge's voice said. The footsteps were coming closer and closer to where Harry and Hermione were standing.

"Yes Professor," Filch answered. Mrs. Norris followed them shortly. It seemed as if she knew that Harry and Hermione were there because she could smell them. Filch noticed this. "What is it Mrs. Norris? Do you smell students?" Mrs. Norris just purred and the three of them Umbridge, Filch and Mrs. Norris left without another word.

Hermione took a deep breath, as she was about to remove the cloak. Harry grabbed her hand before she could even do so. Hermione looked at him. It was only then that she noticed that Harry was only a few inches away from her and that he was staring keenly at her. Hermione blushed, avoiding Harry's stare.

"It isn't safe to remove that yet," Harry whispered. "They might come back any minute." And so, the two walked slowly towards the door that leads to the Gryffindor Common Room. While they were walking, Hermione was wondering why Harry stared at her like that. He never did that before.

When they have reached the Common Room, it was only then that they removed the cloak. Hermione sat quietly on the squashy scarlet armchair by the fireplace. Harry on the other hand, threw himself on the couch. He felt a little bit tired.

"I'm sorry, Harry…" Hermione said silently. "I know that what I have said was wrong…"

Harry sighed and stared at the ceiling. "It's okay, Hermione. And besides…you weren't wrong. I think I paid more attention to Cho than to Sirius." Harry laughed quietly as he sat up and looked at Hermione once more.

Hermione, who was looking at the burning fire on the fireplace, didn't know that Harry was once again looking at her. She was so busy with the thoughts in her head. Harry smirked at himself as he wore the invisibility cloak. He slowly and carefully walked towards Hermione, without Hermione noticing it. Harry stopped right in front of her and kneeled. It was much better to see Hermione closely than looking at her from afar. It took a little while for Hermione to realize that Harry had gone.

"Harry?" she said worriedly. She looked around her and saw no one. "Don't scare me, Harry."

With this, Harry quickly removed the cloak off him and said, "Boo!" Hermione screamed. Harry laughed loudly.

"What did you do that for!" Hermione asked, holding her on to her chest. Harry did not answer. He was busy staring at her. Hermione looked at him. She noticed that Harry was so close to her that any movement from the two of them might cause them to fall on top of each other. Harry, still staring at Hermione, pulled her up and grabbed her by the waist. This made their noses nearly touch each other. Hermione blushed. She wanted to push Harry away from her, but it was too late. Harry had his lips locked into Hermione's lips. Hermione felt numb and fragile, and this made her turn red even more. She couldn't move a single muscle.

_What's this I'm feeling? _Harry asked himself. _Why does it feel strange when I kiss Hermione? I didn't feel like this when Cho and I kissed. There must be something wrong with me…_

_Harry, what's gotten into you…? _Hermione thought. _Why are you doing this?_

After what seemed like several minutes, Harry carefully let go of Hermione. Hermione stood still, her cheeks were redder than the usual.

"I'm sorry…" Harry said quietly. Without another word, Harry picked up the cloak and went to the boys' dormitory to think about what he has done and how he felt.

On the other hand, Hermione was bewildered. She couldn't think of a reason why Harry would do that to her. _Did Harry have feelings for me? _She thought. _It's impossible…_ She told herself. _Harry loves Cho, doesn't he? Why would he do such thing? _Hermione sat back down on the squashy armchair she occupied a while ago.

A few minutes later, Parvati and Lavender went bursting into the Common Room. They were both laughing and giggling.

"Hi Hermione!" Parvati greeted happily. "Where's Harry?"

"Yeah," Lavender said, "Why isn't he with you?"

Hermione just looked at them with eyes full of woe. She didn't know whether she should tell them about what transpired just a while ago.

"Hermione?" Parvati said worriedly as she walked towards Hermione and checked if she was hot or something. It turns out that she was not.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Lavender asked, patting Hermione on the shoulder.

Hermione still didn't say a word. Nor did she even move a single muscle. All she did was stare into space. She thought it best if the two didn't know anything. They might create rumors about her and Harry, and it would cause Harry and Hermione to be in trouble.

Parvati sighed. "Looks like we can't talk to her right now, Lavender."

"Yeah," Lavender agreed. Without uttering a sound, the two went upstairs and into the girls' dormitory, leaving Hermione behind.

Hermione stood up and sat by the windowsill. She looked at the night sky. There were plenty of stars out across it, and the moon can be seen very well. Snow was falling from the dark-gray sky. Hermione didn't know whether she should feel contented or enraged with what happened.

Snow was still falling from the sky the next morning. Hermione didn't get to sleep well. She can't help but reflect about what happened last night. It's so hard to forget about it. She wondered whether she should still be spending the day with Harry or not. It wasn't easy having him around anymore, unlike before. She felt a little bit miserable because she felt uncomfortable with Harry.

Gradually and cautiously, Hermione stood up and went immediately to the bathroom. She washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked different. There was something in her that's unusual.

"Dear, you look pretty today," the portrait of a witch, which hung from the bathroom wall, told her. She was smiling at Hermione. "Are you in love?"

Hermione did not answer the witch and quickly went out of the bathroom. _What's happening to me? What is that witch talking about? _She asked herself. Because of what the witch in the portrait told her, Hermione did not bother to fix her hair anymore. She just let it be. She wore very simple clothes. She looked at the mirror once again and combed her hair, without intending to really fix it.

"There!" Hermione said impatiently, "I don't look pretty anymore!" The witch in the portrait shook her head in disagreement but Hermione ignored her and left.

Hermione went straight to the Great Hall, without bothering to call and wake Harry up. Just as she was walking towards the Gryffindor table, Harry came into view.

"Er…Good morning," he greeted nervously.

Hermione noticed that his voice sounded a little shaky. She just nodded at him and sat down. Harry felt that there was something wrong. He could feel Hermione's anger. Just as Hermione was about to take a bite of the garlic bread she was holding, Harry leaned on the table and faced her.

"We need to talk," Harry told her. Hermione let go of the food she was holding and stood up.

"Fine," she said crossly.

Harry grabbed her hand and held it gently, then dragged her outside the Great Hall and into the snowy grounds. Hermione knew that they were heading towards the beech tree, which stood by the lake. She was right. Harry stopped when they reached the beech tree.

"Now what?"

Harry sighed. He didn't know how to explain himself. He didn't know how to tell Hermione why he kissed her. "Hermione…I am really sorry about last night."

Hermione winced at the mention of the words "last night". Harry placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye. Hermione felt so uncomfortable that she wanted to push Harry away from her, but she couldn't.

"Look," Harry started, "The truth is…I wasn't myself at that moment. I…I don't know why I did that. It's like I was controlled by some kind of monster…And I don't regret anything that happened last night."

Hermione gaped at Harry, with eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean you don't….?"

Harry sighed once again and made sure that Hermione was looking at his emerald-green eyes. "Hermione…I don't know why I'm saying this but…I love you." These words are enough to make Hermione's heart beat more rapidly than the usual and her cheeks become rosy red. "I don't love you just as a friend, Hermione. I love you as a person…as who you are…"

Hermione stood there, frozen on her feet. She didn't know what to tell Harry. She didn't know how to react to those words. It wasn't the first time that a guy told her that he loved her but…it felt different this time, because the one telling her these delightful words is her best friend, Harry Potter. Who wouldn't say "I love you too" to a person like Harry? Everything you could ask for in a guy is already in him. But there was something that's bugging Hermione's mind. She has been hurt once, and she doesn't want to get hurt anymore. It's not that she didn't love Harry and don't trust him. She was just afraid to show her feelings for him.

"Hermione?" Harry said softly. There was a sparkle in his emerald-green eyes.

"Harry, I…" Hermione really didn't know how to tell him how she really felt.

"You just want us to be friends?" Harry guessed. You could tell from the sound of his voice that he was a little bit disappointed.

Hermione stared at his magnificent emerald-green eyes. Tears fell from Hermione's hazel eyes as she turned away from Harry. "I don't want you to get hurt…" she said quietly.

"Right," Harry said firmly, preventing himself from getting furious. "I guess that's all you're going to say then." Without another word, Harry slowly walked away. Hermione burst into tears as Harry walked away from her. It felt hard to hide her feelings for Harry. But she knew that what she did was right. It wasn't the time for her, specially for Harry, to fall in love with a best friend.

A/n: So there. That's about it for the second chap. I'll make the update as often as possible.


	3. Agony

A/N: hey everyone! Here's the third chap. I hope you'll like it, though there is quite a number of kissing scenes. XP hehehe…:) and by the way, you'd notice that the dialogues are fewer.

**Chapter 3 – Agony**

Three days passed and Harry and Hermione still weren't talking to each other. After that "talk", the two can barely be seen together. Later that evening, Hermione found herself alone in the girls' dormitory. Everyone was in the Great Hall, counting down the time left before Christmas arrives.

_This can be the loneliest Christmas I will ever have. _Hermione told herself. She looked outside the window, and she saw someone flying on a broom. Hermione had a hunch of who that might be. _I think it's the right time for him to know the truth. _She thought. She grabbed her jacket and wore it. As quickly as she can, Hermione went running to the Quidditch field. There, she saw Harry, who has just landed. Harry saw her, but ignored her and went to the changing room. Hermione ran as fast as she can and managed to reach the door of the changing room in time. She didn't enter the room at once. She first peeped in, to see if there was someone else there. And she wasn't wrong about her decision not to enter, for Cho was there. So, Hermione stood outside, listening and at the same time trying to see what was happening.

"I didn't know that you would be here," Harry said, as he placed his broom beside the lockers. Cho was seated on one of the benches there, and she was looking intently at Harry. "What do you want anyway?" Harry asked her, trying not to sound too furious. He was still disappointed and hurt, after what Hermione told him. Besides, it was the first time that he talked to Cho after their so-called date.

"I just want to say sorry," Cho said quietly. Harry walked towards her and sat beside her.

"For what?" he asked her, looking at her eyes.

"Sirius Black…" Cho answered, almost in a whisper.

"Oh," Harry said. It was just then that he remembered that day when Cho found out that he was somehow closely related to Sirius. "It's nothing…"

"Erm…and…I don't believe he's a criminal Harry, just so you know."

Harry's eyes widened with surprise and shock. "You don't?" Cho just nodded. Harry didn't know whether he would be delighted to hear those words or not. "Well, he's dead now, isn't he? But I'm glad that you believe in him."

Cho smiled. "Thanks," she said.

Harry was about to stand when Cho grabbed his hand and pulled him, so that he sat again. Suddenly, Cho wrapped her arms around Harry. She looked up at him with gleaming eyes. Harry turned red. He has never been this close to Cho, except for the night when they kissed.

"If you have any doubts about my feelings for you, Harry…then I think you should know that…I do love you…" The glimmer in her eyes did not fade as Harry looked at her. She seemed really honest about what she's saying.

"Cho, I –" He didn't finish what he was about to say because Cho her finger on Harry's lips. It seemed so fast that Harry wasn't able to react at once. Cho's lips were already locked into Harry's lips. Although Harry was bewildered, he did not hesitate to return Cho's kiss. He was too upset about his confession to Hermione that all he could do was accept Cho and make himself fall in love with her. It felt weird though, because he liked Cho, but he wasn't happy that they're now kissing each other.

Hermione, who was watching from outside, felt her heart shatter and break into several pieces. Tears unwillingly fell from her eyes. Before she could help it, she was already crying. Afraid that Cho and Harry might find out she's there, she quickly left and went back to the dormitory. When she has reached the dormitory, she threw herself on her soft crimson bed.

_I'm so stupid…_she told herself. _I should've just told him the truth…I'm not supposed to be crying!_ But in this case, she was crying all her heart out. Clearly, it was stupid of her not to admit that she had feelings for Harry, and then she would cry like that upon seeing Cho and him kiss. Indeed, it would be the loneliest Christmas she would ever have.

On the other hand, Harry was already in the Great Hall. He was with Cho, eating their meal for Christmas Eve. He wasn't surprised that Hermione wasn't there to join the feast. _But surely, she wouldn't be able to resist not eating, _Harry thought as he took a sip of pumpkin juice.

After the feast, everyone went back to their Common Room, except for Harry and Cho. They took a walk on the grounds, holding each other's hands. Even though Harry's wish (to make Cho his girlfriend) was granted, he still wasn't happy. He himself knew that he loved Hermione. Love wasn't the feeling to describe how he felt for Cho but, he couldn't do anything. He had to forget about Hermione for a while.

"I'm so happy," Cho told him as she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. "I can't believe that I would be the girl that you'd choose. I mean, there are a lot of girls out there. But why me?"

Harry gulped. He wasn't exactly sure why he _liked _Cho. He just felt it. "Erm…it's because I think you'd understand me better than all the others out there."

Cho giggled with excitement. She was flattered. Harry felt a little bit guilty, for he knew that he was using Cho to forget about his feelings for Hermione. He knew Hermione. Once she says no, it really means no. So, he thought that he really doesn't have a chance. And he was wrong about that.

A few more days passed and the holidays were over. Everyone was back from their homes. Unsurprisingly, the news that Harry and Cho were boyfriend-girlfriend spread quickly.

"Congratulations, Harry!" Ron said, patting his best friend on the back. He and Harry were in the Common Room, together with all the other Gryffindors. "I knew you'd make it!"

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling forcefully. He looked in the direction of Hermione, who was reading a book on one corner. She looked depressed and unhealthy.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" asked Ron, noticing that Harry was looking at her.

"We had a row…" Harry replied. _Serves her right for dumping me_, Harry told himself.

"Oh," Ron replied, looking worriedly at Hermione. "Do you reckon I should talk to her?"

"It's up to you," Harry said, "But I'm still not talking to her."

Minutes later, Hermione stood up, passing Ron and Harry. Before she could take a step further, Ron had grabbed her arm and pulled her. "What?" she asked angrily.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked her. Hermione frowned at him. She really tried her best not to look at Harry but she accidentally gave him a glance.

"I'm fine, thank you!" she said loudly. Without another word, she made her way to the girls' dormitory.

"Did you see that?" Ron irritably asked Harry. "She didn't even bother to welcome me back!"

Harry chuckled. "Oh come on. You know Hermione. She doesn't greet anyone when she's upset."

The next days haven't been more depressing than usual. Harry and Hermione still weren't talking. When Harry and Ron would come across her in the Great Hall, she would go away from them.

"I'm starting to get annoyed with her actions!" Ron said furiously, dropping his books on the Gryffindor table. Harry said nothing. He too, was starting to get annoyed. Hermione would always avoid him whenever she can. _Is it because of Cho?_ He often asked himself. _Yes, it can be._

After a day of hard work, Harry and Ron sat helplessly on the couch in the Common Room. Their books were scattered on the floor.

"Darn it!" Harry said. "I can't believe Snape could get any worse."

"Yeah!" Ron agreed. "20 inches essay? Is he mad? Where's Hermione when you need her?"

_Ron's right_, Harry told himself. He didn't want to admit it, but he really needed Hermione at that time. It's not just because of the tons of homework that their teachers had been giving them, but it's also because he missed her a lot. He can't stand not talking to her, and not being able to see her smile. Despite these facts, he was still angry with her for dumping him. Harry's only way of escaping from feelings of fatigue, loneliness and resentment was having Cho around. In fact, he was going to meet her tonight.

Harry went to the grounds before dinner. Cho was sitting under the beech tree. Harry grinned as he quietly approached her. He covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" he whispered in her ear. Cho smiled and removed Harry's hands of her eyes. Harry was unexpectedly the first to kiss her this time. Cho unhesitatingly kissed him back. After what seemed a minute, they pulled away from each other. Harry sat beside Cho without saying a word. He leaned his back on the trunk of the beech tree, while Cho leaned her head on Harry's chest. Together, they watched the sun set.

Harry suddenly felt relieved and contented. It seemed as if he was starting to really fall in love with Cho as the days passed. He grabbed Cho's hand and held it gently. "I love looking at the sunset…specially when I'm with you," he said softly. Cho simply grinned and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Ron was with Hermione. They were already walking towards the Great Hall. Hermione was merely following Ron.

"Ron?" Hermione said, pulling Ron's arm and eventually making him stop.

"Yes?" Ron replied.

"I'm not hungry yet," she said. "Can you accompany me? I mean…if it's okay with you."

"Sure." And with this, the two went out into the grounds. They approached the beech tree, for this was the place that they and Harry used to hang out. When they got there, Harry and Cho were deeply locked in a kiss. Hermione stopped, her eyes wide and filled with tears that were about to fall anytime. She accidentally squeezed Ron's hand.

"Ouch!" Ron said loudly, making his arm free from Hermione's tight grip. It seemed as if it was only then that he noticed Harry and Cho, who had now pulled away from each other. Cho quickly stood up at the sight of them.

"Um," she said nervously, "Hi Ron! Hi Hermione!"

"Hi!" Ron replied happily. Hermione stepped hard on his foot. "Ow! That was my foot!"

"Sorry if you got disturbed," Hermione said, still not looking at Harry, who was staring at Hermione. "Ron and I would be leaving now." Without another word, Hermione dragged Ron back in. They stopped upon reaching the entrance to the Great Hall.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked her angrily, letting go of his arm from Hermione's grip. Hermione shook her head, but to no avail. Tears poured down her smooth cheeks. She hastily threw her arms around Ron and hugged him tightly. Ron was bewildered.

"I can't take it anymore!" she said, crying. "I love him, Ron…I love him!" With these words, Ron understood. He merely patted Hermione's back and embraced her.

"It's okay, Hermione," he said. "Just let it all out."

Hermione cried even more harder and tightened her hug on Ron, which made it harder for Ron to breathe. Ron did not complain. He knew that his best friend needed him.

Hermione kept thinking about what she just saw. She blamed herself for making it all happen. If she had been honest to Harry, then she wouldn't be suffering right now. She wouldn't be wasting her tears. Instead, she would be very cheerful, and she wouldn't be always avoiding Harry. Perhaps, she was just too weak and scared to admit that she loved Harry.


	4. The Painful Truth

A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the fourth chap. Sorry if it took so long to update. Hehehe… By the way, please review. :P Chapter 4 – The Painful Truth 

The Gryffindors in the Common Room slowly cleared out as the night grew deeper and the sky became darker. Ron and Hermione were still there, doing their homework for History of Magic. They were supposed to write an essay. Well, that seems to be what they always do for the teachers.

"Hermione," Ron said, yawning widely, "I really can't get this." He scratched his head and dropped his quill. He really wanted to give up. Hermione gave him a stern look.

"Oh come on, Ronald!" Hermione said impatiently, "You have to finish that. I'm sure you don't want to rush that tomorrow morning…or do you?"

"If I can't help it," Ron replied. Hermione merely shook her head. After all, she was done doing her essay. She was already reading about their next topic for Herbology. Feeling hopeless that Hermione really wouldn't do his essay for him, Ron dipped his quill in the bottle of ink and began writing again. When he was done, he handed it to Hermione for checking.

"Not bad," she told him, grinning. "I think you have a knack for doing essays for Professor Binns." She laughed heartily as she handed back Ron's essay. Ron hastily took the parchment from Hermione and shot her a furious glance.

"Don't say that," he said crossly. "I never liked History of Magic. It's so boring. All I can do is stare into space when that ghost is teaching. I mean…he's not at all bad, but he's just so–"

"Dull?" Hermione said, chuckling.

"Yeah, I guess that's the right word…"

"Well, who could be worse than Umbridge?" Hermione asked him, rolling her eyes. Ron smirked. Clearly, in his opinion, there was no other teacher that's worse than Dolores Jane Umbridge.

"What about Snape?" a familiar voice said. Ron and Hermione looked in the direction of the voice. Harry has just arrived. He stood in front of the two, and Hermione didn't notice him approach them. She suddenly felt so embarrassed, that's why she immediately hid herself in her Herbology book.

"I guess that's a really good answer," Ron said laughing. "It's brilliant."

Harry grinned as he sat beside Ron and started to get his things from his bag. He didn't seem to care that Hermione was there. In fact, he wanted to talk about what happened down there by the lake in Hermione's presence.

When Hermione chucked her things inside her bag and started to move, it was only then that Ron remembered. Harry and Hermione weren't okay. It seemed unreal, but it was. Ron was usually the one who get into fights with Hermione, not Harry. It felt odd for him, like it was some miracle.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked Ron when Hermione was out of sight. _It's a stupid question_, he told himself. _I know what's wrong_.He hastily dipped his quill in the ink bottle and continued his unfinished essay.

"I think she's just…jealous," Ron said, nodding to himself. "Yeah, I think so…"

"Jealous?" Harry raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. Apparently, for Harry, this wasn't the right word to describe how Hermione felt. "She can't be. I mean…she doesn't care about me, does she?" Harry was really starting to get annoyed now.

"Erm…she certainly does, Harry. You're her friend, you know."

"I know that. But it doesn't seem like it now. She doesn't even want to look at me, like I'm some kind of monster!" This time, Harry felt really furious. Ron looked at him, somehow feeling frightened. Harry had never been that angry with Hermione before. And Ron just didn't know what to do. Maybe he can consult Hagrid for this.

The next few days didn't make any change at all. Ron was having a really hard time. He had to divide his time with Harry and with Hermione. Neither of them liked the presence of the other. Ron wanted to leave the two of them and find someone else to hang out with, but he didn't know who. One Friday afternoon, Ron decided to go down and visit Hagrid.

"Hagrid!" Ron said delightfully. "I'm so glad you're here!" Hagrid smiled at him and patted his shoulder.

"Hi Ron!" he replied, grinning. "Wha' can I do fer yeh?"

"It's Harry and Hermione," Ron said, sitting on Hagrid's large armchair.

"Wha' abou' them?" Hagrid asked him as he started to prepare tea. "Did they have row or somethin' like tha'?"

"I don't know exactly what happened but…I think they did have a row, coz that's what Harry told me."

"Ah. I see…Hermione came 'ere righ' after the holidays started. I think she also had a problem with Harry at tha' time…"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Tha' was when Harry knew Sirius was dead."

"Oh…"

"They sorta had a misunderstanding."

"Do you have any idea how I can make them talk to each other like the usual?"

"Sorry, Ron but…I dunno." With these words, Ron felt really hopeless. But while he was walking his way back to the castle, an idea occurred to him. He hurriedly went to the boys' dormitory and pulled out pieces of parchment and a quill from his bag. He felt pleased with himself as he thought of his plan that was going to work, eventually. Before going down to the Great Hall for dinner, he saw Ginny in the Common Room.

"Hi Ginny," he greeted her. He forced a smile off his face. Ginny looked up at him and knew that Ron needed something.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked him, trying not to sound too rude. She eyed him suspiciously, looking for signs of guilt from his face.

Ron took 2 small pieces of rolled parchment from his pocket and handed them to Ginny. "Will you please give those to Harry and Hermione?"

"What's this for?" she asked him.

"It's none of your business," Ron answered. "Just give it to them. One for Harry, one for Hermione. Okay?"

Although Ginny didn't seem convinced by this, she nodded and said, "Okay." She handed one to Harry when she reached the Great Hall.

"What's this?" Harry asked her.

"I don't know," Ginny answered him. "Ron just asked me to give it to you." She immediately left after that, as to avoid further questioning. Unfortunately, the same question was asked when she gave the parchment to Hermione. She answered the same answer that she gave Harry. Hermione unrolled the small parchment and read it carefully. It said:

_Be in the Common Room at exactly 12:00 midnight. I want to tell you something._

Hermione scanned the paper for any more writings but there was nothing else. _What did Ron want to tell me? _She asked herself. _It's for me to find out later._

12:00 midnight. The grandfather clock in the Gryffindor Common Room was chiming. Harry was sitting on the couch by the fire. He was waiting for Ron to show up. Like Hermione, he was wondering what Ron would be wanting to tell him. What the two of them – Harry and Hermione – didn't know was that Ron set them up. And so, Harry waited. Someone was walking towards him. He turned and saw Hermione. Harry was surprised. He can see in Hermione's eyes that she too, was surprised.

"It's you," Harry said, turning away from Hermione. "I thought you were Ron."

"I thought so too," Hermione said softly, almost in a whisper. She stood still and didn't dare move any closer. Harry turned to look at her once again, and this time he was already standing.

"What do you mean?" he asked, slightly frowning.

"Ron gave me a note," Hermione answered, avoiding Harry's eyes. "He said he'd be here."

"But…Ron gave me a note too…" Harry stared at Hermione in wonder. Then, it occurred to him. Ron set them up. He obviously wanted them to talk.

"I can't believe he'd do such thing…setting us up…"

Harry snorted. "It's a free country, isn't it?" he said mockingly, "Anyone can do whatever they want." He looked at Hermione. She still won't look at him. And he didn't like Hermione avoiding his stare. He felt more and more annoyed. He wanted to shout at her.

"I…I guess I'll go to bed," Hermione said, finally coming up with a decision. She started to walk away when Harry grabbed her arm. Hermione turned to him, and realized that she was now face to face with him. She sensed that Harry was angry with her. She can see it in his emerald-green eyes.

"You're not going anywhere!" Harry said furiously. He tried to calm himself, but he couldn't. His grip on Hermione's arm slowly tightened with every second that passed.

Hermione seemed to have made herself immune from feeling hurt, even if her arm was starting to get pink. She just stared into Harry's eyes. It has been a long time since she last got the chance to stare at him like that.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Harry asked impatiently, still staring at Hermione. _Is this the right time for him to know the truth?_ Hermione asked herself. She wanted to say something, but a voice inside her head was telling her to keep quiet.

_Please say you can't stand not talking to me…_These were the words that kept repeating inside Harry's mind. Even though he was furious with Hermione, he still missed her…a lot. He was waiting for Hermione to tell him those words but, she just stared back at him. A few more minutes passed and still, Hermione didn't dare say a word. _You're getting on my nerves! _He thought. Then, he sighed.

"Look," Harry said sharply. "If you really have nothing to say, then I'm leaving." With that, he started to walk away.

_Follow him! _Hermione's thought told her. _Don't just stand there, you idiot! _

Before Harry could take another step, Hermione ran towards him and hugged him from his back. Harry stopped, astounded at Hermione's actions. No matter how he wanted to push her away, he couldn't. He just can't do it. He knew that he still loved her, no matter how much it hurts. It was then that he realized that love wasn't the feeling he had for Cho. He thought he loved her, because he wanted to forget about his feelings for Hermione. But he was definitely wrong.

Tears suddenly fell from Hermione's hazel eyes. She couldn't take it anymore. She missed Harry a lot. Not to mention that she really loved him, and she just didn't want to tell him. "I hate us not talking to each other, Harry…" she said softly, crying. Harry turned to face her. He took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Hermione's tears.

"Don't cry," he said. Hermione, indeed, stopped crying and sniffed. She looked at Harry. He looked serious. Before she knew it, Harry had already hugged her so tight that she can barely breathe. Hermione was shocked, but she returned his hug all the same.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…"

"It's okay…" Harry told her. What's more important to Harry now is that he was with the girl he truly loved. He was thankful that they're going to be okay from now on.

THE NEXT MORNING…

When Ron went down for breakfast, he was surprised to see that Harry and Hermione were already there, talking.

"Am I dreaming or not?" he asked as he sat beside Harry and started eating.

"I don't know," Harry replied, smiling. "Maybe you should pinch yourself to find out." He laughed, and Hermione laughed with him.

"Nothing's funny!" Ron said heatedly. When he saw his two best friends laughing together, he was sure that this was real. They have talked things over. He smiled.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, laughing, "you surely aren't sleepwalking, are you?"

"Of course not," Ron replied. His smile became broader and wider. "I just can't believe that you two are okay."

"Well, now you must believe," Harry told him.

"So that means…we're three again?" he asked them.

"Sure!" Harry and Hermione answered in unison. With this, the three of them went laughing heartily. While they were having fun, Cho suddenly came walking towards them. Ron elbowed Harry on the ribs.

"Ow!" Harry said impatiently. He glared at Ron.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"It's nothing," Ron replied quickly. Eventually, Harry and Hermione didn't see Cho coming. So, Ron just kept quiet and waited until Cho was right in front the three of them.

"Good morning!" Cho greeted happily as she sat beside Harry. She gave him a peck on the cheek. Harry blinked several times.

"Er…Hi Cho," Ron said. He nervously looked at Hermione. She seemed to be okay. She was still smiling.

"Hello Ron!" Cho said cheerfully. It was only then that she noticed Hermione. "Hi Hermione! I didn't notice you were here too."

"Hello," Hermione replied, feeling a little but uneasy to see her and Harry sitting beside each other.

"Do you guys mind if I take Harry with me for a while?" Cho asked them.

"No," Hermione answered. "Of course not."

With that, she stood up and grabbed Harry's arm. While she was dragging Harry away from them, Harry looked at his best friends and gave them a look that said 'Why didn't you stop her?". Before Harry could even say something, they were already standing by the beech tree. Cho didn't say anything at first. She just stared at Harry.

"Harry…" Cho said quietly, throwing her arms around Harry. Bewildered, Harry looked at Cho. She was staring at him. Her eyes were gleaming, as if they wanted to tell him something.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying his best to be at least a foot away from Cho. Their noses were nearly touching each other. He expected Cho to say something to him, but all he got for an answer was a kiss. Harry kissed back, but when he felt that it was going to take too long, he pulled away from Cho.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Cho asked him, eyes full of woe. "You've been acting odd these past few days…You suddenly changed." She moved closer to Harry and looked at his eyes. "Tell me what's wrong. I can't understand you anymore, Harry…"

Harry sighed. "Cho," he said. "I need to tell you something. But…it won't be easy, you know…I…"

"Is this about Hermione?" Cho said firmly. She didn't need to ask, because she knew that this was definitely the reason why Harry has been acting strange.

"No," Harry lied. "It's not about Hermione. It's–"

"Don't lie to me!" Cho said loudly. Harry could sense that she felt angry, and tense at the same time. "I know it's about her!"

Harry took a deep breath. "Fine," he said. "It's about her. And you too."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"Cho, listen…The truth is, I love Hermione. The only reason why I asked you to become my girlfriend is because I wanted to forget about her."

Cho felt her heart break into pieces. "No…this isn't true…Tell me that you're lying, Harry!" Tears were now falling from her eyes.

"I'm not lying," Harry told her. "It's true, Cho…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything…"

"I can't believe you'd do this to me, Harry…" Cho replied, sobbing. Without saying another word, she quietly walked her way towards the castle. Harry watched her go, feeling guilty. But he somehow felt relieved because he told her about the truth…what he really felt.

"What happened?" Hermione asked. The three of them were heading to Hogsmeade. After all, it was a Hogsmeade weekend.

"We saw Cho crying," Ron said, looking at Harry. Then, Harry suddenly stopped walking. This made Ron and Hermione stop too. He turned to face them.

"I broke up with her," he told them.

"What?" Ron said, taken aback. "You broke up with Cho Chang?" Harry just nodded and continued walking. The two followed him. Then, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and found himself face to face with Hermione.

"Why?" she asked him. "Why did you do that?" Harry stared at her hazel eyes. Hermione stared back. She had a hunch of what the reason might be, but she knew that Harry confessed his feelings to her a long time ago. It had been a month since then anyway.

Harry gently held Hermione's hand. "Because," he whispered in her ear, "I love you." Hermione felt a sudden wind that blew and made her feel cold. It wasn't the first time that Harry said those words to her, but this time was different. Hermione felt as if she really wanted to tell Harry how much she loved him. But still, there was something inside her that's telling her not to do it.

"We better get inside," Ron said suddenly.

It was only then that Hermione noticed that Harry wasn't beside her anymore. He was already standing by the door to the Three Broomsticks. Without another word, Hermione followed the two and went in. They quickly found a table that was near the counter, so they occupied it at once.

"I'll go get us some drinks," said Ron. While he walked away, Harry and Hermione sat down.

"Hermione?" Harry said, suddenly placing his hand on top of Hermione's.

"Hmm?" Hermione replied, blushing.

"Er…regarding Cho…I wasn't serious about that relationship, you know."

Hermione's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…It was merely snogging and stuff…."

"Harry, I can't believe you'd do that…" Harry looked at her but Hermione avoided his eyes.

"I know…and I feel a little guilty too…but I can't help it. She needed to know the truth."

"Yeah, she deserves to know the truth but…Harry, you did that because of me? I mean…I'm not worth it and I –" Before Hermione could even say another word, Harry placed a finger on her lips, making her shut up.

"Don't say that," he said gently. "You're the greatest witch I've ever known." He smiled as he removed his finger from Hermione's lips.

Hermione didn't know whether she should smile back or not, but she did smile. "Thanks," she said. A few minutes later, Ron joined them and placed 3 glasses of butterbeer on their table. He was the first one to grab a glass.

"Let's give a toast," he said as he raised his glass, "to our friendship."

Harry and Hermione grabbed their glasses and raised them too. "To our friendship," they said together. Then, they drank altogether.

Hermione pursed her lips and placed her glass back down on the table. She looked at Ron and Harry, who were now having a conversation. She was happy that she's with the two of them once again. She can't believe that her problem with Harry would easily be solved. But deep down inside her, she felt uneasy that she was the reason why Harry and Cho broke up. She was pretty sure that the whole school would be talking about the couple's break-up during the days to come. But, she was ready for it. She must face the truth, and she always will no matter what people say or think of her.

A/N: Well, that's about it. I'll really try to post the next chapter as soon as I can. Okay:P


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